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Despite a lethargic economy that continues to play havoc throughout the country, the Central Ohio Transit Authority, (COTA) has not altered its vision for the Columbus Metropolitan Area of “providing very person who needs a ride with a ride” by the year 2020.
However, Ronald Barnes, COTA president and chief executive officer, and Michael Bradley, director of rail development, told members of the Central Ohio IFMA Chapter April 27 at the King Arts Complex that the future of mass transportation may well be riding--no pun intended--on the authority’s ability to sell a tax increase to Columbus voters.
Barnes said, without a quarter of a one percent voter-approved increase, COTA, in all probability, will be unable to obtain state and federal funding that is needed to keep the buses rolling, customers happy and riding, and bring light rail to the area. The price tag for this is pegged at $528 million with the city and state each providing 25 percent, and the federal government 50.
IFMA members were asked to carry a message of need and immediacy to the decision makers of their companies, urging them to become more familiar with and supportive of the proposal that is expected to be on the ballot this year or early next to provide the funding necessary to keep COTA moving ahead.
While the past year was not a good one for COTA—a $2.8 million budget deficit, declining ridership, and curtailed lines and hours of operation—Barnes and Bradley continue to stay their course and tout light rail as the linchpin in the transportation system’s survival.
Both declared light rail has been the salvation for public transportation in such cities as Dallas, Portland, St. Louis, and Salt Lake City. Also, each of these cities, with the exception of Salt Lake City, has or is working on its fourth light rail line. Salt Lake City has completed three.
COTA is seeking to establish light rail for the “north corridor,” from the Polaris area where an estimated 40,000 people work and/or shop and live, through The Ohio State University area where another 80,000 are readily available daily, and into the downtown where some 90,000 could take advantage of rapid transportation. If this proposed line is successful, it could open the door for seven others within the area.
In all probability, light rail in central Ohio would be electrically powered, run in streets or on exclusive right-of-way, provide level boarding stations, operate in one- to three-car trains with each car holding 70-80 passengers seated. Trains would operated at speeds of 55 to 60 miles an hour with stopping times for passengers of about 20 seconds.
Bradley said rapid transit will support the city’s downtown redevelopment initiative, serve as a catalyst for storefront redevelopment, decrease vacancy rates, increase property values, and increase lease rates. For every $10 million invested in transit, 314 jobs are created, and retail sales show a gain three times the public investment in transit, or $32 for each $10 million invested.
Dallas, for example, has experienced $800 million in development around 15 rail stations and thousands of jobs have moved into the downtown. Portland has enjoyed similar success with $2.4 billion in development near its stations plus a $400 million renovation of the city’s downtown mall.
If voters approve an increase in the sales tax this year or in early 2005, COTA would hope to complete its final design for light rail in 2005 and begin construction in 2006 with an anticipated operation in 2008. Rejection by the voters will not only seriously hamper the plan and timetable, but the federal matching dollars that have been “promised” are likely to go elsewhere, Barnes said.
COTA is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place in going to the voters for help. A Columbus schools levy—“a big one” is expected for the November ballot along with a levy in support of the Columbus Zoo and a $600 million Columbus bond issue. COTA expects to make a decision in the next few weeks on whether to place a levy on the November ballot or to wait until 2005.
The one-fourth of one percent increase would help COTA provide 67 percent more service, 17 transit centers, advanced information systems, convenient downtown and neighborhood circulators, a small bus garage, light rail, an intermodal (where shipping containers are transferred between trucks and trains) center, and a maintenance facility.
Bradley said COTA would like to acquire a 10-mile stretch of an existing CSX line in Franklin County for its light rail system in exchange for its itermodal yard on the city’s far west side. COTA officials had been looking at the Marysville area for such a yard, but Union County officials apparently have rejected it. As this occurred, officials in Marion, Bellefontaine, and Circleville expressed interest in such a project.
Bradley said intermodal is the fastest growing segment of the railroad industry, and as it continues to grow central Ohio will need to compete. It is much cheaper, he said, to bring consumer goods closer to their destination by rail than by truck, and could mean a savings to shippers of as much as $40 million.
In other activity, Matt Jacobs, Membership Committee co-chair, announced that all IFMA members have been assigned to a committee in an effort to get more people involved in the chapter’s activities and programs. He said the chapter hopes to get a greater participation from its members and a better understanding of what members would like in terms of programs and activities.
The chapter’s next monthly program will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 6 at the Fawcett Center at The Ohio State University. The program, Being a Green Change Agent—What’s Working, What’s Not in the Existing Facilities World, will be presented by Dr. Kath Williams, faculty member at Montana State University and past vice chair of the US Green Building Council.
Justin Murphy, Program Committee co-chair, asked that members and guests make reservations for this program through Debbie McCreary, chapter administrator, at 761-1744 or with an email to chapteradmin@ifmacentralohio.org. The event will begin with hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and an opportunity for networking. Williams will speak at 6 p.m.
Murphy also announced that a tour of the new architecture building at Ohio State is being planned for May 20. There appeared to be some confusion as to the date of the annual golf outing in June, but emails by McCreary have confirmed that the 16th annual outing will be June 24 at the Shamrock Golf Club in Dublin.